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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27210409">The Day That Wasn't</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/noodlerdoodler/pseuds/noodlerdoodler'>noodlerdoodler</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Doomed Timelines (Collection of One-Shots) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Klaus Hargreeves, Canon Temporary Character Death, Canonical Character Death, Character Death Fix, David "Dave" Katz Lives, Dead David "Dave" Katz, Gen, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Klaus Hargreeves Whump, M/M, Multi, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Telekinetic Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:55:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,729</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27210409</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/noodlerdoodler/pseuds/noodlerdoodler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>In his mind, Klaus was back in the mausoleum but this time, things were different. He was no longer a small child, huddled in the corner and mopping his tears on the sleeves of his blazer. Slowly, he pushed himself off his knees and got to his feet, walking towards the heavy door. The same one he used to beat his fists against until they were bloody, begging for freedom.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now, Klaus reached out and squeezed the cold handle in his hand. With ease, he turned the handle and pushed the door open, stepping out onto the white stairs of the mausoleum. He blinked in the bright, white sunlight. He stood there, tilting his head back to let the breeze tickle his face, and realised: his father wasn’t here anymore. There was nobody to lock the door. He treaded down the steps and onto the grass.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All the ghosts rushed out to meet him there.</em>
</p><p>-</p><p>Klaus finds out the truth behind Dave's death and consequently causes the apocalypse.</p><p>A story told from three perspectives.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz, Number Five | The Boy &amp; David "Dave" Katz, Number Five | The Boy &amp; Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Doomed Timelines (Collection of One-Shots) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986688</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>106</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Day That Wasn't</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Each chapter tells a different side of the same story, so the other chapters fill in any gaps left by this one.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Most people choose to start the day with a glass of orange juice or some eggs. Klaus started his lying on the sidewalk, his face wet with tears as he sobbed, with both arms wrapped tightly around a black briefcase. To passersby, he probably looked like he was having some kind of psychotic break but Klaus didn’t care. He <em>felt</em> like he was having a psychotic break.</p><p>Because Dave was dead. Dead! The only person he’d ever loved more than himself and Klaus had cradled him in his arms as he died, watching the light leave his eyes. Although he’d thought about death a lot over the years, he’d never pictured it happening like that: so suddenly, that it was like Dave’s life was slipping away from him while Klaus desperately tried to grab it with both hands. He scraped himself off the sidewalk and threw the briefcase down.</p><p>And repeat. Dave. <em>Crash!</em> Was. <em>Smash!</em> Dead. </p><p>The briefcase exploded. And it felt like Klaus was turning to ashes.</p><hr/><p>He was pulling an old t-shirt (he’d pulled it haphazardly from his laundry basket without a care in the world) on just because he couldn’t bear the smell of war on his other clothes. Klaus’ army gear was heavy with the scent of smoke, blood, and death- it was a cruel reminder of where he'd been. So, he stripped off and pulled other clothes on after his bath. He kept the dog tags on though.</p><p>“So, where did you go?” Five drawled, leaning against the doorway.</p><p>It nearly made Klaus jump out of his skin. He hadn’t heard his brother arrive and wondered how long he’d been standing there, watching him with an unreadable look on his face. Immediately, Klaus knew that his little-big brother wasn’t actually asking whether he had popped to the doughnut shop for a coffee or to the corner store to steal snacks. When Five asked where he had gone, he meant where had he <em>gone</em>. Five knew everything to know about time travel.</p><p>Klaus sighed, twirling the dog tags in his fingers, “Vietnam, 1968.”</p><p>“Really?” This seemed to pique Five’s curiosity, “How long?”</p><p>“Ten months. Look, I’m really not in the right headspace to talk about this.”</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, Klaus could see his other brother was staring at him too. His dead brother. Because the only people who ever gave a shit about Klaus always ended up dead, as if just being near him was some kind of curse. Hopefully, Five would stop asking questions, before it killed him too, because he couldn’t face another dead body. Not after Ben. Not after Dave. </p><p>Five hummed thoughtfully, crossing his arms. Klaus flopped onto his bed.</p><p>Every single part of his body ached with a sense of loss.</p><hr/><p>It was impressive how many of them were around for the family meeting the next morning. One, Two, Three, Four, and Five: almost a complete Umbrella flush. Of course, Ben might’ve been there too, lingering in the background, but Klaus didn’t particularly care to check. For the most part, his brother was giving him some space and Klaus was too busy putting conscious effort into not throwing up all over himself to ask why. </p><p>Sobriety was hard, he knew that much. It made Five’s rambling about the apocalypse borderline unbearable.</p><p>“Actually, we’re not here to talk about Harold Jenkins or the end of the world. We’re here to mourn a loss,” Five held up a hand to silence their questions, “Our brother lost someone yesterday.”</p><p>There were a few looks of confusion, each of the siblings glancing around to work out who they were talking about. Most of them ended up fixing their gaze on Diego: he hadn’t exactly been subtle about his mourning for the lady cop, Patch, or their mom for that matter. Their brother sniffed and looked away. Klaus felt like he was drowning, his ears and nose plugged with salty water, and could barely hear what his siblings were saying. </p><p>“Klaus, I need to apologise to you,” Five continued.</p><p>He started talking about The Commission, which wasn’t a surprise because whenever he wasn’t talking about the apocalypse, he was talking about The Commission. Klaus barely followed. Five spoke about what his life had been like as a temporal assassin, the deals that he’d had to strike to get back to their timeline, and the people he’d had to kill. A morbid atmosphere settled over the room as he claimed none of it had been personal, he’d never enjoyed it, and he'd had no choice.</p><p>Then, Five mentioned a date: Vietnam, 1968. The A Shau Valley.</p><p>Allison interrupted, “I’m sorry, what does anyone of this has to do with Klaus? Or any of us for that matter? None of us have even been to Vietnam.”</p><p>“One of us has,” Five fixed his gaze, “Klaus, look, I’m sorry-“</p><p>But he didn’t need to hear anymore. Dave was dead.</p><p>When he’d landed in 1968, Klaus’ eyes had fallen on the most beautiful man that he had ever seen, both inside and out. He’d been stupid enough to follow that soldier all the way to the frontline. He cradled Dave in his arms as he lay dying, blood seeping through his shirt, and crying out desperately for a medic. Begged for the little girl upstairs to send him back. He swore he'd do anything- quit the drugs, use his powers- just to see Dave again.</p><p>War took a lot of bodies, he’d learned that on the frontline. Friend and foe had died in the thick, wet mud of the jungle, some screaming in pain and others lying silently as their lights blinked out. Klaus had expected to be one of them and welcomed his own death with open arms, until his soldier had given him a reason to hold on. A reason to live. Only for Dave to end up being one of the many bodies. But war hadn’t taken Dave.</p><p>Five- his own brother- had killed Dave.</p><hr/><p>Emotions had always swirled violently in his chest, making him feel like he was being spun on a fairground ride until he puked. Klaus had always swung from one extreme to another, sobbing in anguish or laughing in euphoria, unable to settle on any semblance of normal. Until now. A strange sense of calm had come over him, as though he had stepped into the eye of the storm, and Klaus felt nothing except a blinding white rage. It was like death but easier, simpler, and painless. </p><p>
  <em>”Dad, I’m scared- the voices-“</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The voices are there to help you, Number Four. Harness them.”</em>
</p><p>In his mind, Klaus was back in the mausoleum but this time, things were different. He was no longer a small child, huddled in the corner and mopping his tears on the sleeves of his blazer. Slowly, he pushed himself off his knees and got to his feet, walking towards the heavy door. The same one he used to beat his fists against until they were bloody, begging for freedom.</p><p>Now, Klaus reached out and squeezed the cold handle in his hand. With ease, he turned the handle and pushed the door open, stepping out onto the white stairs of the mausoleum. He blinked in the bright, white sunlight. He stood there, tilting his head back to let the breeze tickle his face, and realised: his father wasn’t here anymore. There was nobody to lock the door. He treaded down the steps and onto the grass.</p><p>All the ghosts rushed out to meet him there.</p><hr/><p>"What's going on? Klaus?" Someone asked with fear in their voice.</p><p>His siblings scattered like mice as Klaus rose from the couch and felt the power growing steadily stronger inside of him. A lump of ice had formed in his chest and was sending pulses of cold rage through his entire body, so that he felt nothing else. It felt… Good. His body was thrumming with energy, stronger than any high he'd ever felt before. Nightmare visions of ghosts danced around him, howling and wailing for him to help them, and he knew where he needed to go.</p><p>As he walked through the main hall, Klaus let the ghosts rampage through his childhood home. It was satisfying to watch the walls tremble and their dad’s dearest possessions crash onto the marble floor, shattering into pieces. To watch everyone stumble away from him in fear. He took delight in knocking over the liquor cabinet behind the bar, watching the sticky liquid pool on the floor: he didn’t need that anymore.</p><p>Starting down the corridor, somebody threw themselves in front of him.</p><p>“Klaus, come on, you’re acting crazy,” It was Diego, “Look, m-man, just take a few deep breaths and we can all cool down. Talk about this. Nobody needs to g-get hurt.”</p><p>He was stammering, his tongue twisting with fear, and Klaus found it oddly rewarding. So many years had he spent being the family disappointment, the one they all rolled their eyes and laughed at, that he wasn’t used to being <em>pleaded</em> with. His power was useless, which was why they always stationed him as the lookout rather than taking him on missions. Drugs were nothing compared to the buzz of power. But Diego was wrong about one thing.</p><p>Somebody had already been hurt: <em>Dave. Was. Dead.</em></p><p>His moment of hesitation over, Klaus nodded towards one of the mangled ghosts on his left. A soldier, adapt in combat, didn’t hesitate to follow his orders. He left Diego begging for his life in the corridor, wondering why the victory didn’t fill the empty, angry hole in his chest.</p><hr/><p>Grass crunched underneath his feet as Klaus stepped outside, into the garden that they’d never been allowed to play in. Mom had kept the bushes neatly pruned and the flowers bright but as he stalked by, the plants started to wither and die. So strong was his power. All his life his father had talked about his potential, how he was throwing it all away, and Klaus wished he was alive to see this. To have it thrown in his face. The thought made his lip curl into a smirk.</p><p>A few of his siblings had done their best to slow him down. Allison, begging him not to make her do this, had opened her mouth to rumour him. It had been easy enough to silence her with the blade of a suicidal ghost. Slit her throat and watch the blood drain onto his shirt. Ben had plagued him like he always did, criticising whatever he did as if he was his father. But Klaus banished him with a jerk of his head. <em>Bye bye, Benny.</em></p><p>Luther had tried to use his strength. The power of a thousand ghosts flowing through him, Klaus had just grabbed his fist and held it there. Then, he’d thrown his brother backwards into a wall and heard the satisfying crack of him hitting the bricks. Who was the lookout now?</p><p>“Daddy’s home,” Klaus murmured to himself, looking up at the towering mausoleum.</p><p>Throughout his entire childhood, the ominous building had represented his greatest fears. Not just the ghosts and the grip death itself had on him but his own father, who had thrown him in here again and again. Who had locked in the dark and left him there to rot. He'd had nightmares about it for as long as he could remember, prompting him to jerk awake most nights soaked in sweat and begging to be saved. </p><p>Klaus flung the door open and stared down the scared little boy hiding in the shadows, his younger self looking more like a ghost than a memory.</p><p><em>“Dad! Let me out! I’m scared! Dad!”</em> The boy screamed desperately.</p><p>Burning with rage, Klaus lifted his arms above his head as if he were about to conduct a great orchestra.</p><p>And he brought the entire building down in one go.</p><hr/><p>He was dancing in the rubble, delighting as he thought of what to destroy next, when his siblings caught up with him. Klaus paid little attention to them and didn’t hear a word of what they were saying, his ears filled with the cries of the dead. While it had hindered him before, he was numb to it now and felt like he could grab hold of their power with both hands. Bend the dead to his will. Klaus filled in the dialogue for his siblings. Maybe they would apologise for never taking him seriously or, in Five’s case, stripping him of the only good thing in his life. <em>Dave</em>. Teeth bared, Klaus charged towards the little boy furiously.</p><p>But somebody stopped him, jumping in the way and ramming a hand against his chest. A wave of energy rolled off Klaus, the force of impact sent the person stumbling backwards and crying out in pain. A hand flew to their chest instinctively. Blood had wept from Dave in the exact same spot.</p><p>As the man looked up at him, wincing in pain, Klaus saw that it really was his soldier. </p><p>He was stunned, “You’re not real. You’re in my head. I’m going crazy.”</p><p>“Hi Klaus,” But his nervous chuckle sounded so familiar, “Long time, I know. Sorry to keep you waiting.”</p><p>He was a ghost then, the rational part of Klaus’ brain supplied, because he always drew dead people to him. Was it really surprising to think that Dave had been drawn to him in the way that so many of them had been? He was sober now, so he could've summoned Dave’s ghost here- Klaus had thought that seeing him again would ease the pain but instead, it made it worse. A woozy sort of sadness cut through his anger, making him ache. His shoulders slumped. </p><p>“Five came back for me,” Dave continued, taking a cautious step towards him, “It’s all true, huh? All the stories you told us on base? The guys would be shitting themselves if they were here.”</p><p>Five? But he had insisted that timelines couldn’t be disrupted, that the life of any person could affect the entire world dramatically. Klaus knew that somebody like Dave was important enough to change a timeline, so why would Five go back for him? In his confusion, Klaus hesitated and looked around for his brother to answer him. But Five was gone, nowhere to be seen. He must've slipped away while Klaus was staring at his soldier in disbelief. </p><p>Something cold and metallic was pressing against the back of his head. He realised, a moment too late, that Five had only brought Dave here a distraction.</p><p>“Five, no!” Diego cried out, one hand pressed to his eye.</p><p>There was a loud click and suddenly, with no warning, everything went dark.</p><hr/><p>When Klaus opened his eyes, he was in a world devoid of colour.</p><p>It was empty of most things really, no people or animals, just a watery landscape of a countryside painted entirely in greys and whites. He was reminded of the sketches he used to do, back in the Academy, during his art classes- they'd been the only ones he'd really enjoyed. He looked around for Dave but didn’t see him anywhere. It didn't really surprise him that he was alone but it made him feel sad. A bicycle bell prompted him to turn around. </p><p>“Oh, it’s you again,” The little girl seemed disappointed to see him, “Overdose?”</p><p>“Bullet to the head actually,” Klaus shrugged.</p><p>“<em>Whatever</em>. You can’t stay here,” The little girl rolled her eyes, “To be blunt, I don’t really like you all that much. If you stuck around, you’d end up driving me crazy.”</p><p>Klaus still wasn’t clear on where ‘here’ was. After all, he was kind of agnostic, though he liked to think it wasn't just sheer luck that had kept him alive for so many years. As much as he wanted to think there was someone out there looking over him, the idea also made Klaus itch. Additionally, he hadn’t seen any kind of bright light or felt an urge to leave his earthly body behind, like Ben had as a teenager, or he would’ve jumped at the chance to escape it all. Maybe he was just shit out of luck. </p><p>“Please don’t send me back,” Klaus pleaded, “Please, I don’t want to go-“</p><p>The little girl didn’t seem impressed by his argument.</p>
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